Every year in the US alone, a number of drunk students die or get in a car crash as a result of alcohol. Because people assume that passing out, vomiting, and being really drunk will be slept off, resulting in a simple hangover next morning.Unfortunately, thinking this could endanger an inebriated person's life.
When someone at a party near you gets so drunk that they can't take care of themselves, they're at risk of harming themselves, and if they've drunk too much altogether, they may even have alcohol poisoning and needimmediate attention. Being able to spot alcohol poisoning in a drunk person could mean that you save his or her life; knowing what to do to take care of a drunk person is therefore an essential skill for all party-lovers.
Now you've done it and it's official, you have a hangover. Now what? No matter what you do sleep and water or juice should be included. There are many folk cures that are supposed to help cure a hangover. Many of them will help you cope by replenishing the vitamins and liquid you lost over night, while some like avoiding caffeine are very important to a quicker recovery. There is no one size fits all cure, find what works for you but the list below is a good place to start. There are also a few suggestions from readers who found their own way to cope.
The amount of care your drunk friend or acquaintance will need will depend on how much he or she has had to drink. Each individual's situation will need to be evaluated according to context and circumstances, but the main point is to be prepared to care for them until they're out of danger.
Step in to discourage further drinking. Try distracting the intoxicated person from having any more alcohol. Get them away from the alcohol – take them to the front yard for a breath of fresh air, suggest that it's time to call it a night and phone a taxi, or simply sit with them away from the drinking area and talk. Find somewhere quiet and not too bright.
If they want drinks, take responsibility for delivering drinks that won't harm them. Try water, or try very watered down versions of their drink. Often you can get away with giving someone who is very drunk soft drinks; simply hand them a coke and claim that it contains vodka. Chances are they won't even notice, especially if you're distracting them in other ways such as talking or watching TV together.
If someone tends to overdrink, but has not yet drunk too much, suggest less-strong drinks such as beer, and drinks which may be less appealing to drink in quantity (having less "drinkability") such as full-flavored (bitter) foreign beer, instead of mixed drinks and liquor. This can make the level of intoxication easier for the drinker and friends to monitor, and less likely to continue to increase after one has stopped drinking, but is not a substitute for eventually stopping drinking.
Avoid saying anything that could provoke or anger the intoxicated person. Remain calm and reassuring at all times.
Read How to keep your friend from driving drunk for information on stopping a determined drunk from driving.
Lack of coordination will make walking very difficult, so don't suggest this as a way of "sobering up".
If the intoxicated person needs to visit the bathroom, accompany them and wait in the bathroom. It's all too easy for an uncoordinated drunk person to slip and bang a head and get knocked out on the hard surfaces in bathrooms.
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